HARTFORD —
Plan Commission members approved an amended site plan for the
Dunkin’ Donuts on East Sumner Street that will modify the
drivethru and remove an outdoor patio.

City Planner Justin Drew described the proposed site plan
amendment during Monday night’s meeting.

Drew said the proposed patio that was supposed to be on the
north end of the building will be removed to allow the
drive-thru window to move about 15 feet to the west.

“According to the developer, Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t like the
operational flow of the interior of the store with the window
placement as originally proposed,” Drew said. “The drive-thru
window won’t alter the appearance of the building dramatically.”

He said the proposal differs from the site plan approved by the
Plan Commission in 2006 and an amended site plan that was
approved in December.

“It wouldn’t be the first time you heard me say this,” Mayor and
Plan Commission Chairman Joseph Dautermann said. “It disturbs me
when we revisit the same subject a couple months apart. I
thought we had a plan in December, which we embraced with the
patio and embraced reducing the size of the patio.”

“I don’t know what happened in the two
months since we saw this last,” he added. “I don’t like
revisiting developer’s agreements too many times.”

Drew said he thought it was a good public
amenity.

The amendment will also change the location
of the sidewalk walkway from the city bike path on Highway 60,
Drew said.

“I have a couple of concerns about that. I
think they can be addressed,” Drew said. “Before it was a
straight shot in and now they are proposing kind of a curve to
go around the driveway and it wouldn’t line up with the existing
pavement.”

He said if the amendment is approved, the
existing pavement should be redone to line it up.

Plan Commission member Dennis Regan agreed.

“We want things to line up making pedestrian
traffic flow as well as possible,” Regan said. “Hopefully
encouraging more of that for at least symbiotic flow of
pedestrian traffic and auto traffic.”

“I don’t like the changes coming before us
either, however it looks like a decent plan,” he said.

Multi-family residential
development

Plan Commission members approved a concept
plan for an 84-unit multi-family residential development on Loos
Street.

Drew said the seven 12-family residential
buildings will be on the northeast corner of South Wilson and
East Loos streets.

He said the properties would need to be
rezoned to Rm-2 Multi-Family residential. The properties would
need to be combined through a Certified Survey Map and a
conditional use permit for a planned unit development along with
a site plan would need to be approved.

The Plan Commission originally approved a
site plan for these properties in 1997. The proposed buildings
are on a smaller scale than the 40-unit three story building
that was originally proposed.

Drew said there would be a mix of one-, two-
and three-bedroom apartments arranged in 12-unit structures. The
proposed buildings would be two stories tall and each unit would
have its own entrance.

“Staff believes the
style of the multi-family building is appropriate,” Drew said.
“Overall the staff believes this is an attractive project and
would be a good addition to the city’s housing supply.”